Matt Wallace Has Heated Exchange With Caddie at Valspar Championship

Wallace and his caddie, Sam Bernard, had a tense talk on the 18th fairway but have since cleared the air.

Matt Wallace and his caddie, Samuel Bernard, appeared to get into a heated conversation on the 18th hole of Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course, but according to the NBC TV broadcast, the pair have since cleared the air. 

As Round 3 at the Valspar Championship wrapped up, cameras caught Wallace and Bernard speaking with quite a bit of emotion after the Englishman’s drive came to rest on the cart path. 

According to Golf Channel’s Cara Banks, who spoke to both Wallace and his looper after the round, the tense conversation involved Wallace’s decision to play his ball off of the cart path, rather than taking a free drop. 

“He was frustrated that Sam questioned whether or not he should take a drop before that second shot,” Banks said. “He felt he should just play it as it lies, as he did, and Sam questioning him interfered with his flow. But, he got his head back in the game, helped him get up and down to save par, so all is well heading into Sunday.”

Things have thankfully cooled down for the duo, as Wallace is very much in contention heading into the final round of the Valspar Championship. The broadcast showed shots of the the two embracing near the practice green following the conclusion of the round. 

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Wallace has had caddie communication issues. At the 2019 BMW International, cameras also caught Wallace reprimanding his former looper, Dave McNeill.

The four-time DP World Tour winner sits three shots back of Adam Schenk, who leads at 8-under par for the tournament. Wallace will look to chase his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday.